The Vathography practice: a photograph is distilled to a single element: the volume of the scene, creating a unique artwork, composed at capture, focused and shaped in post by the artist.

• The volume: revealed by inferring the depth map from a single photograph, using the Marigold V2 model.
• The artwork: originally meant to be an intermediate post-process pass, the depth map is elevated to the final artwork, through a process that gives full creative control to the artist.
• The focus: no longer determined by the lens at capture. When remapping the depth values, it becomes a creative choice, placed at any distance, on one subject or across several at once, sitting at different depths.
• The expression: the depth map is then shaped by the artist using contrast or color, from the quiet haze of atmospheric perspective to the stark contrast of opposing tonal values.
• The photography: this post-process changes the process itself, giving a new approach to photography. At capture, a photograph is composed purposefully for Vathography, reading a scene by its depth and volume rather than its light and color.

The first series, First Steps into the Depth, was photographed in Bern.

Vathography is an artistic practice published on 1 October 2026 by Karim Joseph Nassar, a multidisciplinary digital artist based in the canton of Bern, Switzerland.

These images may be used free of charge for online editorial coverage of Vathography: articles, reviews and interviews, including the publication’s own newsletter and social media channels, and video features about the practice.

• Credit next to each image: © Karim Joseph Nassar, Vathography
• Images may not be altered, other than cropping for layout.
• Syndication to partner titles is allowed with the same credit.
• Images may not be resold, sublicensed, or passed on to third parties, image banks or agencies.
• Published articles may remain in the publication’s archive.
• Any other use, including advertising or commercial use, requires written permission.

Images are sized for online publication (2160 px). High-resolution files for print publications are available on request. All images © Karim Joseph Nassar, all rights reserved.